The last couple of years have shined a spotlight on the many challenges the world collectively faces: climate change, social justice, weakening democracies, and war, amongst others.
Personally, it’s pushed me to address hard issues, not the least because I have two children and want them to grow up in a world that is equitable, safe and sustainable. So when Mutant decided to launch Mutant for Good (MFG), its first-ever CSR initiative around ocean conservation – I wanted to ensure that the campaign was not only successful, but affecting.
As we continued to brainstorm and discuss campaign ideas, we knew that the campaign shouldn’t be a splashy event that garners some headlines – it needed to be impactful and inspire people to take action. That’s how we landed on a content-focused campaign that revolves around great storytelling.
Our content team works to craft compelling, digestible content for clients every day. When the time came to create content for MFG, we already knew that the same detailed care that goes into every case study, thought leadership article, and whitepaper would need to be applied to this project.
As we prepare to launch next week, I’m excited to share that our content team has done a remarkable job bringing to life Singapore’s dystopian future through five unsettling and evocative tales, should we fail to protect our oceans.
Purposeful storytelling
A well-told story not only entertains, but resonates with people and can drive both action and results. It’s not hard for most people to recall a book or article you’ve read or a documentary you’ve watched that made a lasting impact on you, and perhaps even inspired you to make a change. As a team, we talked a lot about content that made an impression on us, from Charlotte’s Web to Dumb Ways to Die to episodes of Black Mirror and Welcome to Nightvale.
Going back to our roots as storytellers felt natural and the best way for us to create a campaign that not only attracts attention, but that moves people, motivates them to be more thoughtful in their everyday decisions and actions, and inspires them to make permanent changes for the betterment of the ocean and environment.
It’s a hard brief to nail. We’ve worked thoughtfully and with intention, establishing content pillars, partnering with local, award-winning authors who are passionate about conservation, and ensuring all content ties back to scientific, data-backed research. Above all, we’ve kept in mind the purpose of this campaign: to create content that resonates with people and encourages them to take action.
To do this, we focused on a few things:
Authenticity is key: It’s crucial that the content you create and post for this type of initiative comes from a place that is genuine. If people don’t believe you truly care about the initiative you’re championing, then your CSR campaign will never get off the ground.
Amplification is paramount to success: Unfortunately, creating great content isn’t enough – you have to identify the platforms that will most effectively host your content and reach your audience, and then amplify that content to see results.
Longevity is the real goal: A CSR initiative is not a trend or moment to capitalise on, and because of that the goals you set for your campaign should be tied to long-term efforts. Ask yourself not just what you hope to achieve, but how you’ll achieve it, how you’ll measure success, and the precise outcomes you’d like to see.
As this campaign comes to fruition, I’m encouraged by the personal reflection and activism it will spark.